Typographical composing machine



Aug. 6, 1940. J. c. PACKARD TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE Filed Aug.15; 1959 INVENTOR c. f

BY 5% AQLMM W AT Aways line, under the influence of a rapidly rotatingstar i the proper manner.

PatentedAug. 6, 1940 unset TYPOGRAPHICAL 'ooMPosmG MACHINE.

John G. Packard, Paterson, N. J., assignor to Mergenthaler LinotypeCompany, a corporation of New York ApplicationlAugust 15, 1939, SerialNo. 290,165 20 Claims. (01. 199--27) This invention relates totypographical; composing machines of the general organizationrepresented in U. S. Letters Patent to O. Mergenthaler No. 436,532,wherein circulating matrices *1: are released from a storage magazine inthe order in which their characters are to appear in print and thencomposed in line, the composed line transferred to the face of a slottedmold, the mold filled with molten metal to form a type bar or slugagainst the matrices which produce the type characters thereon, and thematrices thereafter returned through a distributing mechanism to themagazine from whence they started.

In these machines, the matrices, as they are released from the magazine,descend by gravity through a channeled raceway and fall onto the upperstretch of an inclined conveyor belt which delivers them, one afteranother,-to a chute or throat whereby they are directed into anassembling elevator. As the matrices enter the assembling elevator, theyare stacked side by side in wheel, against an upstanding finger or lineresistant secured to one end of a yielding assemblerslide. The starwheel is mounted on a fore-andaft shaft and is rotated thereby through.the medium of a power-driven gear and an inter-' posed friction clutch,which latter is maintained under spring tension so that in case therotation 1 of the star wheel is abnormally resisted for any reason itwill yield or slip to allow the power driven pinion to rotate freelyuntil the obstruction to the rotation of the star wheel is removed. Withsuch an arrangement for rotating the star wheel, adjustments in thetension of the spring must be made from time to time to keep it at adesired value because, if the tension is too little, the clutch willslip and the matrices will not be forced into the assembling elevator inOn the other hand, if; the tension of the spring istoo great, the clutchwill not slip when the rotation of the star wheel'is abnormally resistedand thus cause considerable damage to the star wheel, the matrices, thepower driven gear and/or the. assembling elevator. I-Ieretofore, suchadjustments in the tension of the spring had to be made at the rear ofthe ma-, chine and required considerable time and efiort on the part ofthe operator. 1

In accordance with the present invention, a star wheel assembly isprovidedwhereby an adjustment in the tension of the clutch spring iseasily and simplymade by the'operator without leaving his positionatthelfront of--themachine. To this end, the clutch spring ismountedmnthe ment enablesthe operator to determine at once rear end of anadjustable spindle threaded througha fore-and-aft sleeve on which thestar wheel is mounted at the front end thereof, the

tension of the spring being dependent on the positionof the spindle inthe sleeve. When the machine is operating, the spindle and the sleeveare locked against relative movement so as to rotate as one, but when itis desired to change the tension of the spring to increase or decreasethe power of the clutch, the machine is stopped, the spindle and thesleeve are unlocked, and the star wheel then turned manually torotatethe sleeve with respect to the spindle. When the sleeve is rotated inone direction, the spindle is caused to move rearwardly therethrough torelieve the tension of the spring and so decrease the driving power ofthe clutch; whereas, when the sleeve is rotated in the oppositedirection, the spindle is caused to move forwardly therethrough tocompress the spring and so increase l the driving power of the clutch.In this way, such adjustments are not only quickly and convenientlyaccomplished but the feel of the frictional resistance as it. variesduring the adjustand with a high degree of accuracy the drive herequires at the time. After the adjustment has been made, the spindleand sleeve are again locked together and the machine re-started foroperation in the usual manner.

In the accompanying drawing, the invention has been shown merely inpreferred form and by way of example, but obviously many changes andvariations may be made therein and in its mode of application which willstill be comprised within its spirit. It should, therefore, beunderstood thatthe invention is not limited to any specific form orembodiment, except insofar as such limitations are specified inthe-claims.

' Referring to the drawing:

-Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the assembling mechanism with a portionbroken away to expose the-star wheel; v

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view, partly in section, of the star wheelassembly drive;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the improved star wheelassembly; and

Fig. 4' is a detail vertical section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2showing the manner in which the disk 21 is mounted onsleeve I8. 3 50 Inthe operation of the machine, the matrices ID are released from astorage magazine (not shown) and pass downwardly through a channeledraceway ll. onto a constantly driven inclined'belt l2which dischargesthem one 'after another in the order of their release into a throat orchute [3 leading to the assembling elevator 54. Here they are composedin line against an upstanding finger iii of a line resistant slide itunder the influence of a rapidly rotating star wheel ilwhich crowds themforwardly against the end of the line and at the same time advances thelatter to admit the next or following matrix.

In accordance with the present invention, the star wheel I! is securedto a fore-and-aft sleeve H8 at the front end thereof. The sleeve i8 isrotatably mounted in a bushing #9 which is maintained in fixed positionin the assembler frame 20 by a set screw 2!. A spindle Z2 is threadedthrough the sleeve l8 and protrudes beyond the rear end thereof where itis provided with an enlarged portion 23 having a retaining collar 24.Under normal conditions, the sleeve l8 and the spindle 22 are lockedagainst relative movement by means of a jam stud ill threaded into theforward end of the sleeve and against the front end of the spindle. Thesleeve H8 is reduced at its rear end, and on this reduced rear end agear I 25 is loosely mounted behind a friction disk 27 keyed to thesleeve (see Fig. 4) adjacent an annular shoulder 26 which is formed bythe sleeve being so reduced. The gear 25 is rotated continuously duringthe operation of the machine through the usual power operating devicesineluding the gear 28 which is in mesh therewith. A tension spring 29,positioned about the enlarged portion 23 on the rear end of the spindle8 with its rear end banking against the retaining flange Z4 and itsfront end banking against a rearwardly projecting hub portion 25 of thegear, tends to force the gear 25 forwardly along the sleeve l8 and somaintains it in engagement with the friction disk 2'5. The amount offriction thus caused between the gear 25 and the friction disk 2'!depends on the tension of the spring 29 and hence on the position of thespindle 22 in the sleeve Hi. When the tensionof the spring 29 isproperly regulated, the gear 25, the disk 21,

the spring 29, the sleeve Hithe spindle 22, and

mariner intended. As will be seen in Fig. 2, the opposite end portionsof the spring 29 are flattened to increase the area of its frictionalcontact with the hub portion 25 of the gear 25 and the collar 24 of thespindle 22. W Y i In the event an adjustment is required in the tensionof the spring 29, the machine is stopped in the usual way (by shiftingthe driving belt 9 onto the idler pulley 8, see Fig. 2), the. assemblercover plate 33 is swung downwardly about its axis 34 to expose the starwheel H, the jam stud 3! is backed off by means of a screwdriver, itbeing provided with a slot 32 at its outer end for this purpose, and thestar wheel H is rotated manually. When the star wheel IT is thusrotated, the sleeve; 18 and the friction disk 2 rotate in unisontherewith, but the gear 25 (which, it will be remembered, is looselymounted on the sleeve) is held stationary by the inertia of its drivingmechanism, then at rest. Since the gear 25 is held stationary underthese conditions, andv since the spring 29, as above described, at oneof its ends friction-ally engages the hubjportion 25 of the stationarygear 25 and at its other end frictionally engages the collar 24 on thespindle 22, the latter is also held against rotation, with the resultthat it is caused to move inwardly or outwardly through the sleeve it todecrease or increase the tension of the spring 29, depending on thedirection in which the sleeve 18 is rotated by the star wheel IT, andthus varying the driving power of the clutch as desired. During theadjusting operation, it may be mentioned that the thrust of the spring29 will always be sustained by the shoulder 26 irrespective of thedirection in which the sleeve I8 is rotated (the gear 25 and frictiondisk 21 both being free to slide along the reduced rear end portion ofthe sleeve Hi), the distance between a collar 30 formed on the sleeve l8and the shoulder 26 being slightly greater than the length of thebearing bushing It to allow the clearance necessary for this conditionto obtain. After the desired adjustment in the tension of the spring 29has been made, the jam stud 3| is threaded inwardly against the end ofthe spindle 22 to prevent relative movement between it and the sleeveI8, and the machine is again ready to be started for continued operation(by shifting the driving belt 9 onto the live pulley 1).

Having claim isi 1. In or for a typographical composing machine,assembling mechanism including, in combination, a rotatable star wheel,a clutch for driving said wheeLand means operable from the front of themachine for adjusting the clutch to increase or decrease the drivingpower thereofi 2. In or for a typographical composing machine,assembling mechanism including, in combination,,a rotatable star wheel,a friction clutch for driving said wheel, a spring controlling thefrictional power of said clutch, and adjustable means operable from thefront of the machine for increasing or decreasing the tension of saidspring.

3. In or for a typographical composing machine, assembling mechanismincluding, in COIII'. bination, a rotatable star wheel, a clutch fordriving said wheel when the machine is operating, and adjustable meansfor regulating the driving power of the clutch, said means beingoperable from the front of the machine when the machine is at rest. 7

4. In or for a typographical composing machine, assembling mechanismincluding, in combination, a rotatable star wheel, a clutch for drivingsaid wheel when the machine is operating, and means operable by themanual rotation of the star wheel when the machine is at rest foradjusting the clutch so as to increase or decrease the power thereof asdesired.

5. In or for a typographical composing ma chine, assembling mechanismincluding, in combination, a rotatable star wheel, a friction clutch fordriving said wheel, a spring controlling the frictional power of saidclutch. and adjustable means operable by the independent rotation of thestar wheel for increasing or decreasing the thus described my invention,what I tensionof said spring as desired' bination, a rotatable starwheel, a clutch for H driving said: wheel, a spring controlling thepower of said clutch, and an adjustable fore-and-aft spindle operablefrom the front of the machine for increasing or decreasing the tensionof the spring as desired.

8.'In or for a typographical composing ma chine, assembling mechanismincluding, in combination, a rotatable star wheel, a clutch for drivingsaid wheel, an adjustable fore-and aft spindle for regulating the powerof said'clutch, and a rotatable sleeve operable from the front of themachine for effecting the adjustment of the spindle as desired.

9. In or for a typographical composing machine, assembling mechanismincluding, in combination, a rotatable star wheel, a clutch for drivingsaid wheel, a spring controlling the power of said clutch, an adjustablespindle for increasing or decreasing the tension of said spring, and arotatable sleeve operable from the front of the machine for effectingthe adjustment of the spindle as desired.

10. In or for a typographical composing ma chine, assembling mechanismincluding, in com- .bination, a rotatable star wheel, a clutch fordriving said wheel, an adjustable fore-and-aft spindle for regulatingthe power of said clutch, and a rotatable sleeve operable through thestar wheel for effecting the adjustment of the spindle as desired.

11. In or for a typographical composing ma.- chine, assembling mechanismincluding, in combination, a rotatable star wheel, a clutch for drivingsaid wheel, a spring controlling the power of said clutch, an adjustablefore-and-aft spindle for increasing or decreasing the tension of saidspring, and a rotatable sleeve operable through the star wheel foreffecting the adjustment of the spindle as desired.

12. In or for a typographical composing machine, assembling mechanismincluding, in combination, a rotatable star wheel, a clutch for drivingsaid wheel, an adjustable fore-and-aft spindle for regulating the powerof the clutch, a rotatable sleeve operable from the front of the machinefor effecting the adjustment of the spindle, and means movable to activeposition to lock the spindle against adjustment when the machine isoperating and to inactive position to permit the adjustment of thespindle when the machine is at rest.

.13. In or for a typographical composing machine, assembling mechanismincluding, in combination, a rotatable star wheel, a friction clutch fordriving said wheel, an adjustable fore-andaft spindle for regulating thedriving power of the clutch, a rotatable sleeve having a screwthreadengagement with the spindle, and means movable to active position tolock the sleeve and spindle against relative movement and to inactiveposition to permit adjustment of the spindle by means of the sleeve.

14. In or for a typographical composing machine, assembling mechanismincluding, in combination, a rotatable star wheel, a power driven gear,a friction disk, a spring for maintaining said disk and gear infrictional engagement to bring about the rotation of said wheel, andadjustable means operable from the front of the machine for increasingor decreasing the tension of the spring as desired.

15. In or for a typographical composing machine, assembling mechanismincluding, in combination, a fore-and-aft rotatable sleeve, a star wheelsecured to said sleeve at the front end thereof, a power driven gearloosely mounted on said sleeve at the rear end thereof, a friction diskfixed to said sleeve and arranged alongside said gear, a spring formaintaining said gear and. disk in frictional engagement to bring aboutthe rotation of 'th'e's'tar wheel,'and adjustable'means operable fromthe front of the machine for'increasing or decreasing the tension ofsaid spring as desired. 1 I I r 16. In or for a typographical composingmachine, assembling mechanism including,'in"combination, a fore-and-aftrotatable sleeve, a star wheel secured to said sleeve at the front endthereof, a power driven gear loosely mou'nted on said sleeve at the rearend thereof, afriction disk fixed to saidsleeve'and arranged alongsidesaid gear, an adjustable spindle positioned in" said sleeve, a springfor maintaining said gear and disk in frictional engagement to bringabout the rotation of the star wheel, and means adapted by the rotationof the sleeve relatively to the spindle for effecting the adjustment ofthe latter so as to increase or decrease the tension of the spring asdesired.

17. In or for a typographical composing machine, assembling mechanismincluding, in combination, a fore-and-aft rotatable sleeve, a star wheelsecured to said sleeve at the front end thereof, a power driven gearloosely mounted on said sleeve at the rear end thereof, a friction diskfixed to said sleeve and arranged alongside said gear, a spindlethreaded through said sleeve, a spring for maintaining said gear anddisk in frictional engagement to bring about the rotation of the starwheel, and means operable fro-m the front of the machine for adjustingthe spindle in the sleeve to increase or decrease the tension of thespring as desired.

18. In or for a typographical composing machine, assembling mechanismincluding, in combination, a fore-and-aft rotatable sleeve, a star wheelsecured to said sleeve at the front end thereof, a power driven gearloosely mounted on said sleeve at the rear end thereof, a friction diskfixed to said sleeve and arranged alongside said gear, a spindlethreaded through said sleeve, a spring for maintaining said gear anddisk in frictional engagement to bring about the rotation of the starwheel and adjustable as to tension according to the position of thespindle in the sleeve, and means for locking and-unlocking said spindleand sleeve against relative movement, whereby the manual rotation of thestar Wheel when said spindle and sleeve are unlocked will adjust the.spindle in the sleeve to increase or decrease the tension of the springas desired.

19. In or for a typographical composing machine, assembling mechanismincluding, in 'combination, a fore-and-aft rotatable sleeve, a stafwheel secured to said sleeve at the front end thereof, a power drivengear loosely mounted on said sleeve at the rear end thereof, a frictiondisk fixed to said sleeve and arranged alongside said gear, a spindlethreaded through said sleeve and presenting rearwardly of said gear anenlarged cylindrical portion with an annular collar, a coil springsurrounding the enlarged portion of the spindle, said spring bearing atone end against the annular collar on the enlarged portion and at itsopposite end against the power driven gear to hold the latter infrictional engagement with the friction disk fixed to the sleeve, andmeans for locking the sleeve and spindle together to rotate as one whenthe machine is in operation, said means being releasable when themachine is at rest to permit the fore-and-aft adjustment of the spindleby a relative rotation of the sleeve to vary the tension of the springas desired.

20. In or for a typographical composing ma chine, assembling mechanismincluding, in combination, a fore-and-aft rotatable sleeve, a star wheelsecured to said sleeve at the front end thereof, a power driven gearloosely mounted on said sleeve at the rear end thereof, a friction diskfixed to said; sleeve and. arranged alongside said gear, a spindlethreaded through said sleeve and presenting rearwardly of said gear anenlarged cylindrical portion with an annular coliar, a coil springsurrounding the enlarged portion of the spindle, said spring bearing atone end against the annular collar on the enlarged portion and at itsopposite end against the power driven gear to hold the latter infrictional engagement with the friction disk fixed to the sleeve, and ajam stud also threaded into the sleeve forward of the spindle andoperable to lock the spindle to the sleeve when the machine is inoperation and to unlock the spindie from the sleeve when the machine isat rest, as and for the purpose" described. JOHN C. PACKARD.

